Good stuff, Bailey thought. This was going to make Christmas even more nightmarish than usual.
Bailey stashed her phone in her purse and put on a happy face as she pushed the door open and headed to her workstation. “Happy Monday,” she called out to her co-workers. “Let’s get this party started.”
Despite trying his best to focus on Yukon Cider business, Landon’s focus kept shifting toward the mysterious Bailey from the Juice Shop.Who was she?And why hadn’t their paths crossed before? Okay, maybe he was being ridiculous. Moose Falls wasn’t that small, although if he’d spotted Bailey before this morning, he surely would have noticed. She waspretty unforgettable. Striking. Her engaging personality had popped even though their encounter had been brief.
At the end of the meeting, Hattie singled him out. “Landon, sit for a moment,” she told him. “I’d like to chat with you.”
“Of course,” he said, staying seated while his brothers and the other attendees got up from the table and left the conference room. Hattie patted the seat beside her. Her gaze was steely as she trained her eyes on him. They were like laser beams. For a moment he wondered whether she’d caught him daydreaming rather than listening to her talking points about the new cider line. He found himself squirming a little bit as he got up and sat down beside her. Grandmother or not, Hattie Stone was no joke.
“What’s going on? Is anything wrong?” Landon asked as he sat down next to her. He loved spending time with Hattie, but he sensed she was being intentional about speaking privately with him. Hopefully he hadn’t done anything wrong work-wise. He was still learning the ropes at Yukon Cider.
She reached out and patted his hand. “Baby boy, you don’t seem like yourself lately. Care to tell me what’s wrong?” Hattie asked. Her brows were furrowed. Clearly she’d noticed he wasn’t his usual self.
Landon was in a funk, and he knew it. Small things were dragging him down. Lately, making it through the workday felt like drudgery. He knew what it was. He missed being in a laboratory. The sights and sounds. The smells. The excitement crackling in the air. The anticipation of discovery. Being a scientist was a huge part of who he was. And with each and every passing day, Landon was moving further and further away from his life as a scientist.
“I miss being in the lab,” he blurted out. “Don’t get me wrong. Yukon Cider is an amazing place to work, but my true love is being a scientist.”
Hattie made a tutting sound. “Oh, Landon. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me for not realizing this sooner. I was trying so hard to have you boys get acclimated to the business side of Yukon Cider that I failed to see the forest for the trees.”
Ugh. Now he felt like a complete jerk. His grandmother was dealing with a terminal illness, and she was now comforting him and lending a listening ear when she shouldn’t have to worry about him at all. At this point she should be carefree and focusing on herself.
“It’s not your fault. I should have told you.” Landon shrugged. “It’s hard to put into words, but I feel a bit untethered lately.”
Hattie nodded. “That’s understandable. Alaska is a big change from California.”
“Don’t get me wrong, Hattie. I love Moose Falls. I’ve been itching to get back here ever since we left, and it’s been so much fun exploring and discovering.” He made a face. “It’s just that I need to be in a lab like most people need oxygen.”
“My brilliant grandson,” Hattie gushed, reaching out and placing her palm on his cheek.
Landon blushed at the praise. These days he didn’t feel so brilliant. If he was being completely honest with himself, he’d come to realize that it was hard to separate his identity from his scientific works. Being a chemist was a huge part of him. It hurt to feel as if it was slipping away from him. But at least he was functioning these days. Right after his dismissal from the laboratory, it had been difficult to get out of bed and put one foot in front of the other. His family had helpedhim rebound. He hated to dwell on it, but he’d lost so much in the past few years. Landon still didn’t feel whole.
“Well, I’m glad that I asked. I’ve been thinking, which can be a dangerous thing at times,” she said, cackling. Landon laughed along with her. He loved her deep-throated laugh, although it hadn’t escaped his notice that it was far less robust these days. There was no denying that Hattie was in decline. She’d said it herself on several occasions.
His grandmother was a straight shooter. She wasn’t one to sit on the truth. He loved her all the more for her honesty. She was teaching him a lot about life and love and family.
“I’ve been talking to a few of our cider makers about developing a holiday line for next year.” Her gaze didn’t stray from his for a single second.
“That sounds interesting,” Landon said. From what he’d gleaned about the process of making hard cider, it involved chemical processes that fascinated him—fermentation and pasteurization. The science behind cider making was interesting.
“Darling, how would you feel about working as a cider maker? It would give you a chance to be in a lab of sorts and work in an atmosphere that might make you feel at home, professionally speaking. I think you would do a wonderful job there.”
Landon’s mind began to whirl with the possibilities. Creating hard cider was definitely more up his alley than sitting at a desk, although he knew it had been vitally important for Hattie that he and his brothers learn the business of running the company in the event that they chose to stay and run it. Now he had gained experience on the executive side, and with what his grandmother was proposing, he wouldalso have knowledge on the cider-making end. For him, it sounded like a win-win situation.
“I-I would love that,” he said, sputtering. It was almost too much for him to wrap his head around. This, he thought, would be as close as he could get to that experience while working for Hattie’s company. And he would be learning a new skill in the process. Wasn’t that what scientific exploration was all about?
“When do I start?” he asked, excitement bubbling up inside him at the idea of formulating hard cider for the line. It would give him a chance to be hands-on with the product and master cider making. Landon was all about learning new things and creating.
Hattie cackled at his eagerness. “Well, there’s no time like the present. YOLO!” Landon chuckled at Hattie’s use of her favorite expression. At this stage in her life,YOLOresonated with meaning for his grandmother.
“I have so many ideas for next year’s holiday line. And we need to perfect it so it’ll be ready to hit the market next Christmas.” A little sigh slipped past her lips. “It will be my swan song. Something to remember me by.” Her voice got soft at the end of her sentence. He couldn’t imagine how tough it was for her to be living out her last days.
Hearing his grandmother talk like this always served as a jolt to the system. Landon swallowed hard, knowing there was nothing he could say to dispute her words.
“There will be an abundance of things to remember you by,” Landon said, smiling at his grandmother. “You’ve built an amazing legacy.”
She waved a hand at him. “Oh, go on, you flatterer. Webetter head to the lab so I can introduce you to your new team. It’ll be a surprise for them as well.
“Ready for this new adventure?” Hattie asked, eyes sparkling.
